Locking and latching means



Sept. 13, 1938. A, M, B R I 2,129,810

LOCKING AND LATCHING MEANS Filed March 5, 1938 Fl l 1 Fi 4,-

Zhmentor HR THUR M. 5

HQ j/ attorney Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics 2,129,810 LOCKING AND LATCHING MEANS Arthur M; Bier, New York, N. Y.

Application March 5, 1938, Serial No. 194,032

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for looking or latching furniture drawers, cabinet and other doors or closures, etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a lock 5 or latch of the character described which is concealed from view so that unauthorized persons, unfamiliar with the construction and operation of the lock or latch cannot readily see or obtain access to the drawer or cabinet equipped therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined knob and concealed key unit' constructed and arranged to be mounted on a drawer, door, or other movable or stationary member or part of furniture, filing cabinets, wardrobes, etc., provided with a lock therefor in such a manner that the outer surfaces of the drawers or doors of such furniture or the like are devoid of visible keyholes or the like. This is considered a desirable feature of the invention, particularly when the latter is applied to fine or decorative furniture, as it is possible to lockthe drawers, doors, or other parts of such furniture without marring the appearance thereof by the provision of keyholes or similar openings. Furthermore, this eliminates the possibility of scratching or scraping of the paint, varnish or lacquer by the key, and also the possibility of losing or mislaying the key.

The present invention is intended primarily for looking or latching the drawers, doors or other parts of various articles of home, office and other furniture to insure privacy and protection against pilfer'rs and against curious and unauthorized individuals.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will best be understood from the following description considered in reference to the accompanying 9. drawing forming a part of the present specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of 1 desk embodying the present invention;

5 Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the unit embodying the present invention is illus- 55, trated as applied to a desk I and more particutrunk or chest larly to the drawers [2, l4, l6 and I8 of said desk. Each unit is designated generally by the reference numeral 20 and as its manner of attachment and relation to the lock of each drawer is substantially the same, and as each unit may be of the same construction, only one of said units and the relation thereof to the drawer on which it is mounted will be described.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawing, the unit 2!! is shown mounted on the drawer I 4 and is seen to comprise a dome or housing 22 secured within a recess 24 in said drawer. Said housing may be secured in position in any suitable way, as by being glued in said recess. A knob 26 is mounted for slidable and rotary movement in housing 22. More specifically, the head 28 of said knob is provided with a shank 3B which projects through an end opening 32 in said housing and is mounted in the latter for sliding and turning movement. A key 34 is fixed to and carried by knob 26, and for this purpose, the knob shank 3!) is provided with a recess 36 in which the outer end portion 38 of the key is fixed. Key 34 may be secured to shank 30 by forcing portion 38 into recess 36 and, if desired, a fastening pin or rivet 40 passing through key portion 38 and shank may be utilized for more securely fastening the key to the knob. As shown, the knob and key unit is mounted on drawer H1 in juxtaposition to the 30 lock 42 which may be of any suitable construction, being here shown as a conventional desk drawer lock provided with the usual locking bolt or latch 44. Key 34 is movable into and out of engagement with lock #52 in an opening it in the 5, desk drawer and through a vertical key-ho1e slot 48 in the lock casing 42. Said key has a projection 50 at its inner end which permanently ngages slot 48 being rotatable in said slot when the key is rotated to align the lock operating portion of the key with vertical slot 88. Thus the knob and key unit has a bearing at longitudinally spaced points adjacent the inner and outer ends thereof, that is in the slot 48 and in the opening 32 of housing 22, whereby said unit 45.

housing 22. The opposite end 58 of spring 52 559 bears against and is secured to a movable disk 60 which is large enough to abut against the inner housing portion 62 adjacent opening 32, thereby to limit the outward movement of the key and the knob secured thereto. Also, as here shown, the key is provided with side projections 64 which engage the inner surface of disk 60 for preventing withdrawal of the key from the housing. However, said side projections may be omitted as the disk 60 may be fixed to the shank 38 of the knob as will readily be understood without further illustration. By virtue of the construction just described, the spring acts on the key and knob to project the same out of operative engagement with lock 42 and resiliently opposes the movement of the knob and the key to operative engagement with the lock.

It will be understood that in the use of the combined knob and concealed key unit constructed and arranged as described above, the key is normally prevented from entering the slot 48 since the latter is a narrow slot, that is only slightly wider than the thickness of the key, consequently, in order to enable the key to be projected into operative engagement-with the lock, it is first necessary to turn the knob 26 to bring the key into alignment with slot 48, that is with the body of the key in vertical position when said slot is a vertical slot. After the key has been thus vertically aligned with the slot of lock 42, it is necessary, of course, to push knob 26 against the force of spring 52, thereby to project the key into operative engagement with the lock. Thereafter, the knob must be turned for turning the key to operate the lock for either projecting the bolt 44 or for retracting the same, as the case may be, for locking and unlocking the drawer.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the unit instead of being mounted on a movable part, may be attached to a stationary part for actuating the lock carried by the latter, the bolt of the lock engaging the movable part for looking or latching the same in closed position. Thus, as here shown, the unit 20 is mounted on the stationary part fifi'of a trunk, chest or similar article for releasably securing in closed position cover 68 which may be pivoted in any conventional manner to the body of the trunk or chest. As the construction of the unit 20 is the same as that hereinbefore described in reference to the desk it, further description of said unit is unnecessary, and it will be understood also that the lock per se may be of any conventional type or construction.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 the unit 201) is shown attached to the outer surface of drawer I 4 by fastening the housing 22b to the front of the drawer in any suitable manner as by screws Ill. The knob 2% has a key 34b fixed thereto and movable therewith into operative engagement with lock 42b for projecting and retracting lock bolting 442). As in the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, provision is made for spring-pressing knob 26?) and the key carried thereby in a direction away from lock 42b. For this purpose, knob 26b is provided with a cylindrical plunger or shank 3th engaged at its inner end by fiat springs 12. The inner end portion 58b of the key is normally positioned in slot 481) for guiding said key in its movement into and out of engagement with the lock.

Thus it is seen that the constructions herein shown and described are well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the present invention. While I have shown severalembodiments of the invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as here shown and that in the constructions herein shown or described, certain changes in the design and arrangement of the parts may be made and will occur to skilled artisans in view of the present description. The housing 22 and the knob 26 may be made of any suitable material but said parts are preferably made of wood thereby to match the desk or other article when the latter is, as usual, made of wood, although if desired, the housing or knob or both may be made of metal. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the present forms of the invention or to any of them except as may be required by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of.

the United States is:

1. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a member provided with a lockhaving a key-hole, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for movement in said housing and into said key-hole for operating said lock, and a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from view.

2. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock'therefor, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing for directly engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating the latter, a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured'to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from view.

3. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock therefor having a key-hole, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing and in said key-hole for engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating the latter, and spring means in said housing for moving said key out of. engagement with said lock and for resiliently opposing movement of said key into engagement therewith, and a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from view.

4. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock therefor having a key-hole, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing and in said key-hole for engaging and disengaging said lock and for'operating the latter, and spring means in said housing for moving said key out of engagement with said lock and for resiliently opposing movement of said key into engagement therewith, and a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from view, and means on said key for limiting movement thereof. by said spring.

5. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock therefor, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing for engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating the 7-5 latter, spaced disks in said housing, one of said disks being fixed in said housing and provided with an opening through which said key projects and the other of said disks being movable longitudinally with said key, a spring engaging said disks for moving said key out of engagement with said lock and for resiliently opposing movement of said key into engagement therewith, and a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from view.

6. A combined linob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock therefor, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing for directly engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating the latter, and a knob secured to said key and movable externally of said housing for operating said key, said knob having a sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted in said housing, and a spring engageable with said sleeve for moving the latter to retract the key from engagement with said lock and for resiliently opposing movement of said knob for engaging the key with said lock.

7. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a stationary part provided with a lock for locking a movable part to said stationary part, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing for engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating the latter, a knob for actuating said key, said knob being secured to said key and having a part movable externally of said housing for operating the key and for concealing the latter from View.

8. A combined knob and concealed key unit adapted to be mounted on a movable member provided with a lock therefor, said unit comprising a housing, a key mounted for longitudinal and turning movement in said housing for engaging and disengaging said lock and for operating 1e latter, and a knob secured to said key and movable externally of said housing for operating said key, said knob having a sleeve slidably and rotatably mounted in said housing, and a spring engageable with said sleeve for moving the latter to retract the key from engagement with said lock and for resiliently opposing movement of said knob for engaging the key with said lock, and means in fixed relation to said knob for limiting movement thereof by said spring outwardly of said housing.

ARTHUR M. BIER. 

